RichardF1 wrote:After doing a bit of reading on ground effect and that area, I was wondering if it would be possible to make 'ground effect sidepods'. Please let me know, I'm not a techno-wizard and would just like to have a clear answer on would it produce more downforce than the coke bottle design. However, being a newbie at this I don't know how to get my 'car' from Microsoft paint into this.
IMHO,You have to call that "floor effect" not ground effect. Yes at certain points you would create low pressure areas (along with unwanted high pressure points), however it would do nothing to create downforce as it would do nothing under the car's flat floor.
The sculpted side pods create a "shelf" area above the floor to prevent spilling of air under the floor area (prevention of higher pressure turbulent air pockets under the floor) AND to feed air to the diffuser. The shelf area increases DF by this reduction of spillage.
"Driving a car as fast as possible (in a race) is all about maintaining the highest possible acceleration level in the appropriate direction." Peter Wright,Techical Director, Team Lotus